Engine-house door-catch.



No. 889,665. PATENTED JUNE 2, 190's.

1). E. DAMPMAN.

ENGINE HOUSE DOOR CATCH APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

Snoewtoz DAVID E. DAMPMAN, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE-HOUSE DOOR-CATCH.

' Specification hf Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed November 1, 1907. Serial No. 400,307.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID E. DAMPMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-House'Door- Catches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved door catch and the object is to provlde a device that will be more particularly applicable to the doors of fire engine houses.

In this case the doors are usually made to open out, and my construction consists of a latch member carried by the door and an adjustable weighted member suspended from the door jamb, in line with said catch.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which The figure shows a vertical cross section of a door and amb with my invention applied thereto.

The numeral 1 designates the door and 2 the door amb.

The numeral 3 indicates a plate having a right angled latch 4 formed at its top. This late is secured to the inside of the door, near lts top, with the latch projecting inwardly.

The numeral 5 indicates a hanger comprising a plate 5 by means of which it is secured to the door amb and a depending ear 6. In the plate, in front of the ear, I place an adjustablestop in the form of a set screw 7.

The numeral 8 designates the operating latch member. This latch is in the form of a rod or bar and is pivotally mounted on the ear 6 and is formed with a catch 9 at its forward end for engagement with the latch 4. The rear end of this bar is provided with a horizontally adjustable weight 10 which weight has a set screw 11 by means of which it is held in position. To this Weight I secure an operating cord 12 which cord passes up from the weight and over one or more pulleys 13, ending in a depending handle 14. The bar 8 and the ear 6 are both provided with a plurality of perforations 6, which permit them to be adjusted both vertically and laterally.

The operation is as follows :When the door is in normal closed position, the catch 4 will engage the catch 9 and hold it in position. When it is desired to open the door, the handle 14 is drawn down by the driver of the engine, before whom it is suspended, and the weighted end of the bar 8 is raised, thus releasing its forward end 9 from engagement With the catch 4. The doors being provided with the usual opening springs, will open on being so released.

The simplicity and usefulness of my device are apparent to any one familiar with conditions at a fire engine house on the occasion of an alarm, particularly in winter when the usual bolts for holding the doors closed are frozen fast.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 4 In a fire engine house door catch a plate having a right angled catch at its top adapted to be secured to the door, a hanger secured to the door amb in line with said catch, an ear formed on said hanger, a bar pivotally and adjustably mounted on said ear and adapted to engage said catch at its forward end, said ear and bar having a plurality of perforations for relative adjustment, a longitudinally adjustable weight located on the rear end of said bar, an adjustable stop on said hanger adapted to limit the u ward movement ofthe forward'end of sai bar, and means for releasing said catch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ED. A. KELLY, J. OR. KELLY. 

